Police debated whether to publicize rapes

By the first week of October, detectives with the Columbus sexual-assault unit suspected that a serial rapist was preying on women in the city.

By the first week of October, detectives with the Columbus sexual-assault unit suspected that a serial rapist was preying on women in the city.

Three had been attacked between Sept. 12 and Oct. 5, and for the detectives, the similarities were impossible to ignore.

The squad assigned a detective to all the cases and sent evidence to be examined by the same lab already looking at a rape in June investigated by Hilliard police.

Police also looked at older cases and brainstormed among themselves. And as they do when faced with a possible serial offender, they weighed the merits of going public and the potential fallout that publicity brings: panic, false leads and compromised investigations.

The path to publicity became clearer when the rapist struck again last week, twice in 22 hours.

In the wake of those attacks, police announced this week that they highly suspect that a serial rapist is hunting mostly single young women in their homes, usually on the Northwest and North sides of Columbus.

But police have found none of his DNA, and he has hidden his identity so well that police don't know if he's white, light-skinned black or Latino.

Publicly, police have linked the victims by the types of assaults, the thefts from their homes and the restraints used to bind them.

There are other details that police are not disclosing that strengthen the links, Sgt. David Pelphrey of the sexual assault unit said yesterday.

Columbus might have one or two serial rapists a year, he said, but many aren't as detail-oriented as this attacker. Without giving specifics, he said this offender shows signs of the behavioral habits that surface in sexual-predator case studies.

"This one's different," Pelphrey said. "You see that stuff in this guy. Very distinct behavior, and the stuff jumps off the page at you."

Four of the six victims are in their early 20s. Five of the six lived in apartments or condominiums. Police think the man stalked some or all of them before attacking.

Since police went public, they have received tips, but nothing pointing to a suspect. The number of linked attacks remains at six.

The news undoubtedly reopened the angst and pain of rape victims. Those victims whose offenders were caught likely rushed to computers to ensure that their rapists were still incarcerated, Pelphrey said, while those whose rapes remain unsolved likely wonder whether their attacker has resurfaced.

One such woman is Patricia Hamilton. She asked investigators to see whether her rape in December was connected, which lead detective David McKee said on Wednesday that he would do. No link has been made.

The Dispatch does not normally identify rape victims, but Hamilton said she wanted her story known to help other women who have been assaulted.

"It's such a personal type of attack," she said. "Women need to be more outspoken about it. There's such a stigma attached to rape, but victims shouldn't feel that it was their fault or feel ashamed of it."

Hamilton, 32 and a single mother, said the attack turned her life upside down. She lost her job and moved, then finally started to heal through counseling. She now hopes to help other women.

"It casts a huge shadow across the rest of your life, and it's something you can never get over," she said. "But a lot of prayers and a lot of faith get you through."

The precision and care taken by the serial rapist will require police to be equally savvy, Pelphrey said.

During the search for the so-called Linden-area rapist, police explored every possibility. When detectives learned that some of the victims shopped at the same grocery store, police scrutinized every man who worked there.

Ultimately, it was DNA that led police to Robert Patton Jr. He had no connection to the store.

"We have to be creative with our approach," Pelphrey said. "This guy's being very careful."

Anyone with information is asked to call 614-645-2437 or Crime Stoppers at 614-645-TIPS.

tdecker@dispatch.com

kgray@dispatch.com

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